A Sandy Red Haze Consumes Sydney, Australia

Sandstorms are rare and natural occurrences that develop when gusts of wind collect loose sand and dirt from dry land. Back in 2009, one of these natural phenomena took place in an unpredictable location: Sydney, Australia. Fairly quickly, the unsuspecting city was consumed by a yellowish-red sea of sand that filled the air in a magical glow.

As unprepared as the city probably was, and as frightening as the event must have been, many couldn’t resist documenting the beauty and wonder of this rare event. In this collection of images by a variety of photographers, we witness the eerie silence of a city that was shut down by the powers of nature. The empty streets and bridges exude an ominous feel that would be the perfect opening for a zombie movie!

Cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson hilariously reinterprets the meaning of some of the world’s most popular songs. Ranging from timeless Christmas carols to chart-topping hits, the Icelandic artist uses them as inspiration for his deceptively simple-yet-clever line drawings. As a result, their biting wit puts a whole new spin on the melodies we thought we knew. These one-panel cartoons are ripe with parody. Dagsson takes a snippet of a song—such as its title—and builds a whole stick-figure world around it.

Russian photographer and ballerina Darian Volkova takes an innovative approach to exploring St. Petersburg’s architecture with her new ballet photography series Ballet House Tales. While she typically shoots backstage life at the ballet, these stunning images prove that her photography is not limited to straight reportage. By placing ballerinas in these these decadent houses, she fills the space with a new spirit. Each dancer melds into her surroundings, molding herself to the surfaces.